The U.S. Army's
"Country Trip" in Puerto Rico: Facts and Anecdotes

By Luis F. Clemente

General:

Of all the places where the Spanish-American War was fought,
Puerto Rico was one of those that posed the least
resistence to the American troops, even showing happiness and cooperation
to the soldiers. This essay will focus on the reasons this happened.

Part I: Antecedents

By the 19th. century, Puerto Rico was emminently
a sugar-coffee-tobacco producer, with all its plantations being owned by
a strong and rising local bourgeois class. The local plantation owners
waged a struggle with the local Spanish authorities and its loyals for
commercial liberalization, and with all its dependent classes, not willing
to be controlled. Trying to stop the problem, they tried to reunite all
sectors of Puerto Rican society, with them heading, into what they called
"gran familia puertorrique~na" ("great Puerto Rican family"), an abstract
scheme that deffended the establishment of a Puerto Rican state supposedly
to affirm its national identity, devised by them, against the Spanish rule,
but it was actually targeted at taking over the society and expand commerce
for their own interest, facing also the fact that not all "family" members
thought the same way. Also, the autonomical rule given by Spain in 1897,
though permitting the creation of self-rule in the island, kept local authority
on a Spain-appointed Captain General (Governor) and the last word on the
metropolitan nation. Although the local bourgeois took over the majority
on the new rule, thus promoting their own interests, it wasn't enough for
some people. Both situations were catalysts for a constant growing of an
annexionist sentiment in Puerto Rico.

The United States represented two things in Puerto
Rico: democracy and profit. Some local political leaders were impressed
by the American government's upholding of democracy and liberty, and thought
that it was the better than Spanish rule and a better option than independence.
By their own way, the local bourgeois desired to penetrate in the American
market to advertise and export their produce intensively, since it was
the first importer of sugar and the foremost consumer of coffee in the
world. For both sectors, annexation to the United States was an opportunity
they couldn't refuse, some to get rid of colonialism, others as commercial
partners.

In April 25th, 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, and
the Spanish-American War begun. The stage was all set for the U.S. Army's
"country trip" in the island.

Part II: Is This An Occupation of What?

The war between the United States and Spain began, as we mentioned
earlier, on April 25th, 1898. At the first mews of the state of war, Puerto
Rican newspapers El Pais, owned by loyalists; and most surprisingly
La
Democracia, official newsletter of the local bourgeois; published a
series of articles attacking the U.S. and giving loyalty to the Spanish
crown. Also, General Manuel Macas y Casado, Captain General of Puerto Rico,
suspended individual rights, and groups of volunteers were formed as Guerrillas
Montadas ("Mounted Guerrillas") and given the order to assist the now activated
Spanish Army units in the defense of the island. The capital city of Puerto
Rico, San Juan, held allegiance ceremonies to Spain and suspects of
treason were arrested and even deported. With this background, anyone could
suppose that there wasn't no cooperaton at all, but it happened otherwise.

The ground assult on Puerto Rico began with
a beachhead in Guanica, at the southwestern coast of the island, on July
25th. According to Puerto Rican historian Carmelo Rosario, this town was
chosen as landing for the U.S. troops not only because of its bay, suitable
for cruisers to dock, or of its poor defenses, but because there were lots
of unloyals to Spain, whether independentists or annexionists. Ultimately,
the annexionists, were the ones who helped the U.S. Army in their campaign
in the island, mainly with logistic work and by winning hearts and minds
for the troops on Puerto Rican soil with speeches in favor of them. With
this help, the 3,415 U.S. soldiers only took 13 days to occupy 23 of the
70 Puerto Rican towns. Spanish Army didn't offer armed resistence, though
there was some kind of heavy fighting in places like Villodas and Monte
del Gato, in towns like Guayama (eastern Puerto Rico)
and Salinas (southern Puerto Rico), and in the beachhead
area and its neighboring towns (Guanica, Yauco and Guayanilla). The most
well-known of all that fighting is the battle of Asomante, in Aibonito
(center part of P.R.), but all that were exceptionsto the rule.

As we said before, the local bourgeois desire to participate in American
market some people's dissapointment with Spanish rule and the current view
of the United States as the cradle of liberty and democracy determined
the lack of difficulty in its take-over of Puerto Rico.
Public opinion was predominantly with the idea of annexation to the U.S.
as a first step towards statehood or, if that wasn't possible, to start
another autonomous rule, like the one during Spanish government. With that
in mind, expressions of rejoice and of decided cooperation were experienced.
Here are some examples:

In towns like Yauco, Juana Diaz, Santa Isabel, Sabana Grande
and Maricao, on southwestern Puerto Rico, the people cheered the troops
as they arrived. In Ponce, the most important city on southern Puerto
Rico, some of its most important people made flattering comments to the
U.S. Army and acknowledge the help of the Vice-Consuls of the United Kingdom
and Germany, the Consul of the Netherlands and the British citizen Robert
Graham on surrending the town. On the same place, just three days after
the invasion, a ball was held in the Ponce Casino, a place of high society
activities, in honor of General Miles, commander
of the U.S. troops. In San German, another town in southwest P.R.,
General Schwan, who established its accomodations in the house of Joaquin
Servera, a distinguished gentleman of the town, was greeted by the town's
high class people. Rodulfo Figueroa, an inmate of a Spanish
prison in Ponce paroled by the U.S. military authorities, gathered some
riders and, with them, assaulted Spanish advance parties and intercepted
their supply routes. He also waved the Amerivan flag through the streets
of Juana Diaz and Santa Isabel. There were Puerto Ricans, some of
them of respectable position, who served as spies, scouts and surveilance
soldiers. The brothers Santiago and Miguel Veve, Angel Garcia, Jorge
Bird and the brothers Enrique and Jesus Bird-Arias hoisted the American
flag in Fajardo (eastern P.R.) before hiding from Spanish troops and fleeing
to Ponce, seeking protection.

Another sign of cooperation to was the acceptance of mayorships drafted
by the American generals, some govererned by the military, others by pro-annexionists.
Here are some examples:

Major D.E. Clarke appointed the new mayor of Yauco. General
Schwan, the one greeted in San German, was appointed mayor of the town
by the people. The mayorship of Mayaguez (western P.R.) took oath of office
after suggestions done by the U.S. generals. The new mayor was Santiago
Palmer. The mayor of Guayama, on a short note, said that he was reappointed
tothe charge.

The cooperation to the American troops was almost overwhelming and,
certainly, unvaluable. Without that, the the United States' military campaign
in Puerto Rico wouldn't be this effective. Puerto
Rico would experience a different situation after the war finished,
but this isn't the time or the place for such a discussion.

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